Interesting maghttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif. OTT video is about content -- if you don't have what people want to pay for, they won't. "That in a few days Netflix will lose its rights to carry Starz video content, including my daughter’s favorite Disney films, offers yet more evidence." Comcast has size and distribution. The cablecos and telcos control the bits and pipes. They paid big money for video distribution; they want to see an ROI on that. They don't want Apple, Google, Amazon or Netflix to have it. They also don't want OTT VoIP, but that is a tricky business to play with, since cable has already been caught once playing with Vonage - and it didn't go well PR-wise.

"They adopt a predictable pattern--they let someone introduce a new service, watch the market grow, and much later step in and take away the opportunity. This is how cable companies beat out TiVo (which introduced the world to the DVR) and Vonage (which convinced Americans to embrace VoIP)." Keep that in mind as you partner with cable because you are frustrated with ILEC.

MSP's are looking at offering email marketing to SMB. "SMBs are in need of some serious assistance with their email marketing activities, which could present an excellent growth opportunity for MSPs serving this market. At least these are the conclusions which can be drawn from a recent study by email marketing platform provider GetResponse." Just another way to be sticky. You can partner with a freelancer to provide this.

Cable is following telco into home security and home automation. Comcast, TWC and Bright House are entering home security after Verizon. Comcast is reselling iControl.

In case you missed it, VZ is offering Fixed LTE as a broadband choice in rural and non-Verizon regions. Despite the complaints that they don't have enough bandwidth. Also, they need more customers so it is time to expand into other ILEC territories.

The VZ-SpectrumCo spectrum deal, which would result in a joint venture company that co-markets each others products, is under FCC scrutiny (as it should be). This will wipe out competition.

Some new government guidelines for EHR (EMR) here.

Is ISP Six Strikes Plan an Antitrust Violation? "Most of the largest ISPs are set to begin ramping up a new anti-piracy effort in July that could involve filtering access to websites or throttling the connections of suspected pirates." apparently, they all got together with the RIAA and MPAA to come up with this plan. Look for much more encrypted data to transverse your network.

NetZero is at it again with free 3G/4G broadband via Clearwire WiMax network. Have you seen that Republic Wireless, owned by Bandwidth.com, is offering a really cheap $20 wireless (not really cell) service. It uses Wi-Fi as much as possible and is metered.

Peter Radizeski is a telecommunications consultant and analyst with RAD-INFO INC. Service Providers have called on RAD-INFO INC for assistance building a channel, improving sales, managing online marketing efforts, and overall company strategy. Contact RAD-INFO INC at 813-963-5884 or http://rad-info.net

If you are a nationwide CLEC or ITSP, your new strategy going forward is this:

The ILEC's are kicking are ass on Special Access. (See L3's FCC docket)

Cable will own all SMB services under $500.

We have fiber but we don't want to sell transport.

We want multi-location MPLS. CLEC's originally had a slight advantage with LNP, calling area, and cross-LEC services. Let me explain.

LNP: If your business was moving across the LATA or at least off the Central Office you were serviced from, you lost your number. CLEC's stepped in to let you keep that number. The same today.

Calling area: CLEC's typically gave you a larger local calling area. LATA-wide dialing was the usual deal. For small business, today, they are used to unlimited dialing through a VoIP provider (billed per handset) or on the cellphone plan. The per-minute and long distance billing is really only a medium, government and enterprise deal.

Cross-LEC services: cable companies have regions like ILEC's do. CLEC's can provide one-bill service across LEC's and across cableco regions. With the MVNO services that some CLEC's have, they are saying, hey, we can provide all that on one bill. It's not the lead offer, but it is in the tool kit.

So it is MPLS, Managed Security services and Cloud (including Hosted VoIP). And it is not BYOB Cloud either. It's so picky that they might as well throw in the towel and call it a day.

Peter Radizeski is a telecommunications consultant and analyst with RAD-INFO INC. Service Providers have called on RAD-INFO INC for assistance building a channel, improving sales, managing online marketing efforts, and overall company strategy. Contact RAD-INFO INC at 813-963-5884 or http://rad-info.net